Stop pretending, the seemingly useless junior sister is the real boss.

A proud divine beast, its head ripped bald, tearfully combed its few remaining feathers in front of the spirit spring while telling Bai Xiaobai and Shen Ji their current location.

"The situation was perilous at the time, and I happened to discover an ancient secret realm hidden in these mountains. So I used my spatial power to pull you into this secret realm, temporarily escaping the vengeful spirits outside. Therefore, you are now in an ancient secret realm, the dangers of which are unknown, but as long as you break through this secret realm, you can obtain the Heart of the Divine Tree, because this secret realm was set up to protect the Heart of the Divine Tree. It seems that the beings in these mountains also came for the Heart of the Divine Tree, but they probably did not know that the Heart of the Divine Tree was hidden by a secret realm."

After listening to Xiao Hong's explanation, Bai Xiaobai frowned and pondered.

"So as long as we break through this secret realm, the Heart of the Divine Tree will appear automatically, but at that time, the beings in this mountain will also come to compete for the Heart of the Divine Tree."

Xiao Hong was heartbroken and didn't want to see her reflection in the spring anymore.

It is a great ancient mythical beast, and it has been stripped of its feathers time and time again. This is simply too humiliating.

What should we do?

The master she'd ended up with was already a scoundrel, and now she had an additional powerful being by her side who could enter and exit her sea of ​​consciousness.

Can't afford it!

Shen Ji glanced down at the bald little red, and it was hard to suppress the urge to laugh, but he managed to hold it in.

He coughed lightly and said, "The Heart of the Divine Tree is indeed rare and very suitable for you. We have no reason to miss this opportunity. Now that we've entered this ancient secret realm, let's go, break through this realm, and obtain the Heart of the Divine Tree."

Bai Xiaobai didn't expect Shen Ji to be so decisive. If he had the help of his powerful master, he would have a better chance of taking down the Divine Wood Heart.

But she also noticed Shen Ji's unusually pale face.

"But Master, are you really alright? You don't look well."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ji smiled faintly.

"It's nothing. It's probably just that your spiritual energy is a bit sluggish due to the limitations of your sea of ​​consciousness. It should be fine once you leave your sea of ​​consciousness."

Hearing Shen Ji's explanation, Bai Xiaobai finally felt relieved.

"That's good. Little Red, thank you for your hard work this time. Take good care of Little Black and the others. Once I obtain the Heart of the Divine Tree, I will establish my foundation as soon as possible, and you will all become stronger together. Alright, now see me and my master off."

Xiao Hong didn't expect that Bai Xiaobai would still care about her. Although she was still upset that Bai Xiaobai had plucked her beloved feathers, she wasn't so upset anymore.

"Remember what you said, begin your foundation building as soon as possible."

As soon as Xiao Hong finished speaking, a white light flashed.

The next instant, Bai Xiaobai and Shen Ji appeared deep within the ancient secret realm.

Looking around, completely different from the deathly silence outside, this ancient secret realm, also a dense forest, is not only home to flying birds and beasts, but also to birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Bai Xiaobai stretched and yawned, only to find that his master, who had originally been dressed in coarse linen, had transformed into an ethereal cultivator, his white robes making him appear like a celestial being.

Sure enough, her master was incredibly handsome.

Moreover, with her powerful master by her side, she wasn't afraid of ancient secret realms at all.

However, having seen too many hideous vengeful spirits before, she needed to look at her own beautiful master to cleanse her eyes.

While admiring her master's beauty, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, you seem even more beautiful than before. No wonder Hua Buyu of the Hehuan Sect is still so obsessed with you. But Hua Buyu is indeed quite handsome, and he's about to reach the Nascent Soul stage. Besides, I've heard that the Hehuan Sect's dual cultivation technique is incredibly powerful, capable of greatly enhancing one's strength. Master, are you truly not tempted at all?"

Upon hearing this, a blush flashed across Shen Ji's face, his ear tips suddenly turned red, and he choked slightly, unable to respond for a moment.

He never expected that his little disciple would actually keep talking about dual cultivation.

Seeing his master change his clothes, Bai Xiaobai also transformed himself, changing out of his coarse linen clothes.

In short, since she was going to venture into the secret realm, she should change into the clothes her master had prepared for her, as these clothes had cost a lot of money and also had protective functions.

After changing clothes, he noticed the blush on his master's face and the red tips of his ears, and immediately understood.

It turns out that my master is actually a pure and handsome man.

She was genuinely curious. Almost all the powerful figures in the cultivation world had Daoist partners, but her own Qingxiao Sect's living advertisement, who was outstanding in both appearance and strength, not only didn't care about Daoist partners at all, but also rejected other people's advances and only knew how to sleep all day.

That's a bit too detached from worldly desires.

No, if Master is not enlightened, it is the disciple's duty to help him become enlightened.

Bai Xiaobai's eyes darted around, and she mysteriously moved closer to Shen Ji.

"Master, you said the Dual Cultivation Method of the Joyful Union Sect is so powerful. Why don't we let our eldest, third, and fifth senior brothers learn it as well, and see what's so magical about this Dual Cultivation Method?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Ji's face turned bright red, and he also looked angry.

"Nonsense! You really dare to spout nonsense about anything."

Bai Xiaobai scoffed, "Master, haven't you thought about finding us a mistress? We disciples can't always be by your side. If we leave, you'll be so lonely. But if you had a Daoist partner by your side, life wouldn't be so boring."

Hearing what Bai Xiaobai said, Shen Ji lowered his eyes to look at her.

The girl, dressed in a moon-white dress, had clear, bright eyes and soft, glossy black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, swaying gently as she tilted her head slightly. Her black hair accentuated her fair, jade-like skin, and her bright, sparkling eyes, with slightly upturned corners, held a touch of innocent charm. She was as pure and serene as the first rays of moonlight on a mountainside.

But who could have imagined that when they first met half a year ago, she was just a small snake with no power to protect herself?

Six months later, she stood gracefully and beautifully before me, just like a flower bud that had just begun to bloom, pure and lovely.

She worried about being lonely, but loneliness was the least important thing in his life.

If one day she discovers that everything she has done is a pretense, will she still worry about herself as much as she does now?

Will she, like others, feel disgusted, fearful, and hateful upon seeing her true self?

If that day really comes, how will I accept it?

Shen Ji clenched his fists tightly, a sense of unease and worry rising in his heart.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke.

"Xiao Bai, if one day you discover that I'm not what you imagine or see, that I'm not myself, not the person you see, but someone else entirely, what would you think?"